American Dream in Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes?

 

The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes animated series is often regarded by fans as one of if not the best adaption of the Avengers on the small screen. It’s a little-known fact that the MC2 Universe character American Dream showed up in Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes…well, kinda.

 

The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes series led to spin-off media including a tie-in comic which published brand new stories in the continuity of the show. Thus, within the pages of Marvel Universe: Avengers Earth’s Mightiest Heroes #11 in a story aptly titled ‘The Last American Dream,’ a version of the MC2’s own American Dream makes an appearance. While at first it appears to be a tale set in the future following an elderly retired Captain America aka Steve Rogers watching on as a team composed of James Buchanan ‘Bucky’ Barnes aka The Winter Soldier, John Walker aka U.S.Agent and a Werewolf version of Captain America led by Shannon Carter aka American Dream known as the Captain Americorps battles an army of Doombots, it soon becomes clear things are not as they seem.

 

The heroic Sleepwalker reveals to Steve Rogers that he is in fact ensnared within a dream being influenced and manipulated by the villainous Fear Lord entity known as Nightmare. The Sleepwalker succeeds in breaking Steve out of his dream, one in which he wasn’t frozen for decades and instead grew old and raised a family with Peggy Carter. Empowered by the Sleepwalker’s guidance, Rogers manages to fight off Nightmare’s influence and awakens.

 

It's interesting that the fictional Captain Americorps shares some members with the Captain America Corps seen in the mini-series of the same name: U.S.Agent, Bucky (formerly The Winter Soldier) and American Dream. Considering Steve would have no knowledge of Shannon’s superhero identity it’s would seem Nightmare was responsible for inserting a version of American Dream into the dream reality. Maybe he’s a fan? Another small point is Shannon’s costume including the little wings on the side of her head, as they appeared in her own mini-series.

 

Not quite a case of the MC2 in the animated Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes shared universe, but a case of a character crossover that I considered consequential enough to cover! I think it was neat to see American Dream pencilled in the show’s art style even if only for one page. Let me know what you think of these shorter, simpler posts.

 

Until I forget my hypnocil and fall asleep, I remain

 

frogoat

 

 

Ultron in the MC2

 

I might be a little late to the party with this post, but I still wanted to put something out to cover Ultron in the MC2, especially given I missed my chance last time he made a major appearance on the big screen, so now with his return to the small screen via the Disney+ animated series What If, I'm seizing the opportunity.

 

I briefly touched on Ultron in my History of the MC2: The Avengers post but let’s take a more focused look this time. At an unknown point in the team's past prior the original team’s final mission, an Avengers team which included Captain America, Iron Man and Thor fought Ultron Extreme, the newest model of the team's old foe. Iron Man eventually managed to erase Ultron's programming and the villain's indestructible body was sealed away ‘half a world away, in a cavern far beneath the Earth’ for over a decade (Avengers Next #2-#3).

The Avengers Compound contains an armory and ‘trophy room’ within which an inert head of an older model Ultron was kept. During Sylene’s staged attack on the Avengers Compound by ‘Zombie Avengers,’ her lackeys Warp and Ulik secretly stole this Ultron head. Sylene then used her magicks upon this Ultron ‘artifact’ so that it would guide her to the body of Ultron Extreme (Avengers Next #1-#2).

 

Still inert with its programming wiped, Sylene imbued the shell of Ultron Extreme with her magic and set it against the Avengers, while disguising herself as another ‘prime’ Ultron resembling that of the stolen head. However, when ‘Ultron’ Sylene’s assault module was suddenly destroyed leaving her vulnerable, she was forced to cover her deception by appearing to ‘self-destruct.’ Busy using her magic to disguise herself as the kidnapped and depowered former Avenger Kevin Masterson to enable her to enact her final plan, the Ultron Extreme body was left to collapse inert once again on the remote island atoll (Avengers Next #3).

It’s also worth mentioning that a model of statue of Ultron is on display in the Avengers Compound alongside many others representing past Avengers foes (American Dream #1). Presumably the actual head of Ultron and other villain ‘artifacts’ are kept well away from the public in the aforementioned armory or trophy room.

 

While this might be the last time we see of Ultron in the MC2, the ever-clever Stinger notes that the villain was previously only deactivated and that his programming could be copied or restored in the same way Avengers members Mainframe and the Vision have done in the past (Avengers Next #3).

 

Until I learn how to restore myself from some lines of code, I remain

 

frogoat

 

 

The Watcher in the MC2

 

With the new What If...? show now streaming away on Disney+ I figure now is the best time to talk about one of the series most iconic characters, everyone’s favourite observant extra-terrestrial in a toga, Uatu aka The Watcher in the MC2.

 

Despite May ‘Mayday’ Parker aka Spider-Girl making her debut in the pages of What If (vol. 2) #105, the comic series ‘host’ The Watcher doesn’t appear within to set up the tale nor play the narrator as he often did.

  Uatu actually first shows up in the pages of the mini-series Last Hero Standing with issue #1. It’s here he gives the reader a quick history of the MC2 reaching back to birth of Age of Heroes, clearly referencing the Main Marvel Universe’s beginnings. The Watcher notes he can see that a pivotal moment is coming which may end the modern Age of Heroes and bring a new era of darkness.

 

At the conclusion of Last Hero Standing, Loki is revealed as the antagonist and leaves Captain America dying. Uatu watches as Thor combines Asgardian magic with his friend’s spirit, transforming the hero into a new star in the sky. The Watcher informs the readers that it will shine until the end of time and ‘serve to inspire countless new generations of heroes!’ (Last Hero Standing #5)

 

Unfortunately, the next time we see Uatu is also the last time. The Watcher states ‘the time has come for me to witness one final critical juncture’ before he and half of the Earth’s Moon are blasted away by Galactus’ herald Dominas. Presumably The Watcher is killed in this attack, though this is not confirmed (Last Planet Standing #3).

 

 Fortunately, the newly birthed being composed of the combined Silver Surfer and Galactus uses a new form of energy- The Power Essential -to repair the damage wreaked during his former self’s plot. So, it’s possible -though again, not stated- that Uatu was restored also (Last Planet Standing #5).

 

That’s all we have for everyone’s favourite Watcher in the MC2. Brief, but surely true to form for the character. Perhaps he’ll narrate something momentous in the future?

 

Until I figure out how to look *that good* in a toga, I remain

 

frogoat

Loki in the MC2

 

With the new Loki television series new streaming on Disney + the present might be the best time to take a look at the Asgardian God of Mischief himself. So, here is a post dedicated to Thor’s adopted brother and everyone’s favourite trickster: Loki in the MC2.

 

Loki made his MC2 debut early on, in the introductory A-Next #1 where we saw the formation of the next generation team of Avengers. Just as he did in the original Avengers #1, Loki inadvertently helped bring these heroes together. Attempting to steal the enchanted mace of the original Thunderstrike using his rock troll minions, complications arise when Mainframe, Stinger, J2, Jubilee, Jolt and Speedball assemble to defend Kevin Masterson, the rightful inheritor of the mace.

 

Transporting the heroes to Asgard’s Isle of Silence and capturing them, Loki stood poised to harness the maces magical energy against his many enemies, only for Kevin Masterson to leap into the centre of Loki’s spell and grasp the Thunderstrike mace. Immerging from the ensuing explosion, Kevin Masterson finds himself transformed, merging with the mace to become the powerful hero Thunderstrike. The heroes escape to the surface only to find themselves overwhelmed by the trolls’ sheer numbers, but thanks to Kevin signalling for help the group are rescued by Thor and Loki flees. Following this, the assembles group are returned to Earth and some of the heroes’ band together to re-form the Avengers and history repeats itself, all thanks to Loki.

 

When next we see Loki Laufeyson again, he masterminds a plot to bring an end to the age of heroes he helped start. To do this, Loki sends the trolls to kidnap various heroes and -using a dark crystal- turns them against the remaining heroes (Last Hero Standing #1-#3).

 

With his plan nearly uncovered, Loki not only targets Doctor Strange and removes him as threat but also turns the incredible Hulk into his pawn too. With Hulk under the influence of Loki, he launches a vicious attack on all the heroes indiscriminately. Loki’s spell requires the sacrifice of a human life by a hero to bind the ensnared heroes permanently (Last Hero Standing #4-#5).

 

When Thor arrives alongside Captain America and a small group of other heroes including Spider-Girl, the final battle takes place. Thor battles Hulk and Captain America is left the last hero standing to oppose Loki. Managing to break Loki’s spell over the heroes by targeting Loki’s dark crystal, Captain America is still slain by the God of Mischief. Fortunately, Thor has not killed Hulk so the spell is not completed. Thor casts Loki to Limbo as punishment for his actions, with a repentant Hulk accompanying him at the last moment (Last Hero Standing #5).

 

That’s the last we see of Loki in the MC2, but it’s worth mentioning his daughter, Sylene makes her presence known not long after wards in the pages of the Avengers Next mini-series. If there’s interest, I’ll cover Sylene in a future post. She’s also an interesting character.

 

Until I fulfill my glorious purpose as God-King, I remain

 

frogoat